Silikes (Selkies, Seals, Selchies, Kelpies, Roane, and seal people) are a very common site around Ireland, Scotland and England, heads peeking along the cost line curiously watching with uncanny human eyes. Some say that they are fallen angels who were condemned to become seals while others say that they were once human beings who from some grave misdemeanor were doomed to assume the form of a seal and live our the rest of their days in the sea.

The Islands have numerous stories relating to the selkies and it is common to hear it being said, "He/She has been touched by a selkie." Selkies are not malicious creatures but are gentle shape shifters that have the ability to transform from seals to beautiful lithe humans by shedding their sealskin. Selkies are often found dancing along on the seashore or basking on a sun drenched island rock when in human form. If for any reason the silkie looses it's magical skin it is unable to change back into human form for it holds the power to return to seal form and therefore the sea. Therefore, when ever in human form, the skin is carefully guarded. If a silkie is disturbed while in human form, they gather their skin and dive back into the water.

Male silkies are incredibly handsome when in human form with dark hair and deep, soulful eyes and have magical powers that they use to seduce human women, married and unmarried. Selkie men have no qualms about shedding their skins, hiding them carefully and heading inland to seek out illicit intercourse with an "unsatisfied woman".

Female silkies have long dark hair and the same deep, soulful brown eyes as the males; they also have very enchanting singing, which is nearly irresistible to mortal men.

None the less at times, a mortal human can capture the skin, in turn capturing the silkie in human form and having a mate. When in human form, a silkie makes a wonderful attentive, loving and completely faithful mate though they long for the sea that is their home and in their blood. A silkie will stay with its mate forever, until they find their skin, which is often accidentally and sometimes with the help of their children. Once their skin is found, they dash back to their sea leaving their mates and human friends though sometimes they take their children with them.

Someone who is descended from a silkie (sometimes called a Black Scot) makes a wonderful and beautiful mate though at times a great tragedy falls upon the family of a silkie that can not be completely explained. There is a wonderful movie out called "The Secret of Roan Inish" that is about the silkies which was inspired by the book "The Secret of Ron Mor Skerry" by Rosalie K. Fry